


A New Killer In Town

by wulfeyes08



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Crime, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Fluff, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Investigations, Kissing, M/M, Romance, Serial Killers, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:13:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25606402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wulfeyes08/pseuds/wulfeyes08
Summary: “What are the odds we run into another killer?”“I would say for us, the odds are always high.”
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was like hey, why not have Hannibal and Will living in the UK after the fall. I thought it would be interesting and fun and different. This is also a chapter-sodic story, so look forward to more.

“This is unexpected.” Will looked down at the body, brow knitting together as he examined it.

“Not so unexpected.” Hannibal’s eyes shifted over the corpse, taking in every detail.

Will glanced around at the police officers milling about the scene of the crime. Hannibal, or Dr. Aldo Chiara as everyone else knew him, worked with Major Investigations and by extension, Will also worked with them as Hannibal’s husband and practice partner. “What are the odds we run into another killer?”

“I would say for us, the odds are always high.” He looked to Will. “What do you see?”

“You know what I see.” 

“It’s the same killer.”

“Undoubtedly. Same attack pattern, same wounds, the victim is his type, and same calling card; one yellow rose.” Will squatted down. “There was more rage this time.”

“An escalation.”

“He had time, the advantage, he didn’t have to worry about being seen.” He tipped his head to the side. “Her knuckles are calloused.” He gently lifted the woman’s hand. 

“Boxing or a martial art perhaps.”

“Self-defense maybe?” He stood. “They walk into these dark places willingly with him, they don’t see the danger until it’s too late. I’m missing something.” He looked to Hannibal, questioning. 

“You are.”

“You know what it is?”

“Who is someone a woman would trust to walk with her down a dark, empty alleyway? Who would they feel most comfortable with? There is confidence in this killer and a trust in the victims.”

Will’s eyebrows shot up. “Another woman.” 

“I knew it would come to you eventually.” Hannibal gestured to the body. “She fought back; it clearly enraged her attacker. This went from envy to hate. Before, she was careful, even gentle afterward. This woman must have caused her some damage.”

“And she took it out on her.” He sighed. “How did you know?”

“I noticed a perfume at each crime scene. She was close enough for it to rub off. Cinnamon and vanilla.”

Will shook his head as he waved down the head inspector. “You should have said something.”

“I had to be certain.”

“Sure.” 

~ 

They explained their findings, Will having the profile changed from a man to a woman. They were looking for someone who may be smaller than the victim, if not in height then in weight. She surprised her victims, something she obviously needed in order to overpower them. Her personality would seem kind as a way for her to hide her intentions. She would befriend these women, offering to walk with them when they found themselves out later than usual. She would convince them to take shortcuts, stating that they would be safe if they were together. 

“I would recheck any surveillance you have of the victims.” Will explained. “Now that we know we’re looking for a woman, she should be easier to spot.”

“We appreciate you and Dr. Chiara’s aid and allow me to once again apologize for waking you so early.” The inspector made notes in his phone, face both grim and apologetic.

“It’s not a problem. He’s an early riser and I don’t sleep much.”

“Then we are fortunate.”

“I would also make a note of the perfume, inspector.” Hannibal added. “And yes, we are all incredibly fortunate.”

“All except this poor girl.”

“True, she was unlucky in that respect.” 

The inspector nodded. “Thank you for your help, truly. We’ll have the profile drawn up and have the more important details released. Hopefully we’ll get a handle on this.”

“One can only hope. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.” Hannibal dropped a hand on Will’s shoulder. “If that is all, I would like to get him home now, and have breakfast.”

“Of course, have a good day.”

~

“Are you mad at me, Will?” Hannibal asked as he drove them away from the crime scene. 

“Mad? No. Irritated? Yes.” He stared through the windshield, jaw clenched, and arms crossed. Closed off and defensive. It was classic Will.

“Because you believe I lied to you, or because you were unable to find the true pattern on your own?”

“Both.”

“To the latter, believing the attacker to be a man was a logical leap. That would have been anyone’s presumption.”

“Not mine. I should have seen it.”

“You are too hard on yourself. You know now, go from there.” He then reached over, taking Will’s hand. “I also didn’t lie to you.” 

“You kept something important to yourself about the murders.”

“I didn’t know it was important at the time. It could have meant anything, could have been a strange sort of coincidence. I do not believe in jumping to conclusions.” 

“Don’t you?”

“Will, I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie.”

“This was not that, I assure you.”

Will glanced at him. “Fine, I’ll believe you, for now.”

~

Will ate slowly, turning the crime scene over and over again in his head. He understood the killer’s motivation; jealousy and he knew how the attack had happened; a blitz, but he had no idea yet how to catch her. “Your coffee’s getting cold.”

“Hmm?” He looked up from his plate.

“Your coffee.” Hannibal tapped the cup with his fork.

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He picked it up, taking a sip. “Is that chocolate?”

“I thought you would enjoy it.”

“It’s good.” Hannibal paused, eyes focused. “What?”

“You’re thinking too hard.”

“Am I?”

“Your face always betrays you. Tell me.”

“I’m trying to formulate a plan.”

“Of attack?”

“More or less.”

“Hopefully more than less.” He went back to eating.

Will cracked a smile, unable to help himself. “If the police find her, she’s going to run.”

“Then we will catch her before she gets the chance.” 

“She could find another victim beforehand.”

“You would prefer she didn’t, as would I. Too much attention on her may draw too much attention to us.” He sat his silverware down and held his hand up in a gesture for Will to wait as he stood and left. He came back with his tablet and brought up a map. “What do we know?” He sat it down in front of Will.

“She’s not big or maybe not that strong. She must surprise her victims. She’s friendly, seemingly extroverted. She knows how to lie.” He let his eyes move over the map. There were already markers placed where she had attacked. “She’s already established her hunting grounds. The first two weren’t found that far from one another.”

“She has a pattern. She works fast.”

“She’s hit three spots all in the same area, working her way in.”

Hannibal took the tablet and Will watched as he dropped a marker in another location. “I believe she will be here next.”

“It was a week between each killing. So, scout out the area.”

“We can go tomorrow night. Now, finish your breakfast.”

“Please.”

Hannibal smiled. “Please.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some general dreams and fluff because I can't help myself. I love, love and all the silly stuff that comes with it. Next chapter, the scouting and the hunt.

Will attacked the woman, grabbing her from behind. Her size and strength were inconsequential, he had done this before. She turned, surprising Will when her elbow made contact with his cheek. Rage. It rose up in him hot and ugly, a monstrous thing that roared its hate for this other woman. The knife was in his hand and a growl of anger in his throat. He screamed as he stabbed her. She fought, much harder than he had anticipated, punching and kicking him, trying to choke him. 

“Will.” He lost the knife, so he wrapped his fingers around her throat, pushing all his weight down on her neck, his arms shaking. “Will.” He jerked awake with a gasp, skin sweat soaked, his hair and the sheets clinging to him. Hannibal’s hand rested against his cheek, eyes searching his. 

“Hannibal, what’s wrong? Did the inspector call?”

“You were talking in your sleep.”

“I’m okay, just a dream.”

“About the killer?”

Will nodded. “Yeah.”

Hannibal brushed the hair away from his face. “What did you see?”

“How she killed the most recent victim.”

Hannibal pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Did that frighten you?”

“You know how I see things.”

“Like an alternate world you cannot escape.” He kissed his nose. “I can assure you, this is reality and you are safe with me.” 

“I know.” Lips met his, surprisingly gentle and he closed his eyes, sighing out a breath. He was pulled flush against Hannibal, fingers sliding up his spine and into his hair. It was overwhelming, the depth of the other man’s feelings for him, to the point that at times Will felt like he was drowning in them. He was on his back, Hannibal’s fingers slipping through his and pinning his hands above his head. “Wait, Hannibal, wait.” He turned his head. It was too much. “Sorry, I just…sorry.” 

Hannibal pressed kisses to his cheek and his neck. He released Will’s hands to hold his face, giving him another to his forehead and then over his eyelids and once more to his lips. “You never have to apologize to me, Will.” 

“I didn’t mean to say…to stop you. I just…”

“Your empathy is nothing to be ashamed of.” He gave him another light kiss, smiling. “I quite enjoy how sensitive it makes you.”

Will smiled back. “You’re insufferable.”

“This is true, yet you seem to find those aspects of my personality charming.”

“It’s an unfortunate weakness.”

“One I intend to exploit for the rest of our lives.” 

~

One shower and a cup of hot cocoa later, courtesy of Hannibal, and Will was back to sleep. He woke the next morning feeling rested and impatient. He would have skipped breakfast, if not for Hannibal’s insistence that he eat. As much as he wanted to help others, he had little interest in going into work, wanting to hit the streets, to find the killer. “My dearest husband, you know there would be no point during the day. She hunts at night, so shall we.” 

“I know.” Will replied, running his fingers through his curls, mussing them up. “You know we’re not really married; you don’t have to keep up appearances when we’re alone.”

“It’s simply practice, Will.” 

He started to say something else, something snarky, but he paused. “What?”

“Come, we have a busy day ahead of us.” He grabbed his keys. “We have a responsibility to our patients.” 

“You’re deflecting, ignoring me.”

“I would never do such a thing.” He tapped his watch. “We’re going to be late.”

“We’re talking about this later.”

“I look forward to it.”

~

Being able to watch Hannibal interact with others was always interesting to Will. There was a definite personality shift, like someone else had taken over, but even so, it was still Hannibal, just behind a mask of absolute civility. Will helped where he was needed, his ever-present empathy allowing him a more emotional insight than he knew Hannibal had. He was completely drained by the end of the day, and sat at Hannibal’s desk, his forehead resting on his arms. There was a knock at the door, will not bothering to look up. He then heard Hannibal talking to someone and the door closing. Being nudged had him finally sitting up and he had to pull back when he found something being held in front of his face. It was a paper cup with a stylized emblem on the front and he took it. 

“Coffee?”

“Longjing tea,” Will started to take a drink, “also called Dragon Well tea.” Will paused and gave him a look. 

“Is that some kind of joke?”

“Perhaps.”

“What does it do?”

“It’s supposed to help with your energy. Today seemed more tough on you than usual.” 

Will leaned back in the chair. “I may have only been half here today. Between our patients and the killer, I feel like the life has been sucked out of me.” He took a sip of his tea. “It’s good.”

“I would hope so.” He sat on the edge of his desk. “You are not obligated to be here with me, Will, you can leave when it becomes too much.”

“Just walking down the street can make it too much, just being at a party or even at a crime scene can make it too much.” He sighed. “There are days when I’m perfectly fine, when I can deal with the constant emotional overload, but then there are days like today when I just want to lock myself in a closet and ignore the universe.”

Hannibal nodded. “You’re working yourself too hard.” He reached out and attempted to unsuccessfully brush the unruly curls off Will’s forehead. His smile was affectionate and loving. “After this I promise we’ll take some time off. A vacation to the countryside perhaps, where you can recharge.”

“Sounds good. We can go fishing.”

“You can show me all of your tricks.”

Will smiled. “Do you even like fishing?”

“I like what you like, it’s that simple.”

“Does that mean we can get a dog?”

“I may consider it.”

“Perfect.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Could we try something?”
> 
> Will’s eyes met Hannibal’s as he nodded. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”
> 
> “A reenactment. I would like you to play the killer,” he reached into his pocket, extracting a knife, “and I will play your victim.” He held it out.
> 
> “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
> 
> “It’s more real, is it not?” 
> 
> “It is.”
> 
> “Don’t be afraid, Will, think of it as a game.”
> 
> “A game.” Will reached out, taking the knife. “Alright.”
> 
> “Let’s begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I gave Will a puppy, because he needs a dog, he's all about dogs. Now he has one with a great name. Also, final chapter. It wasn't a big fight, but I didn't expect it would be. The killer was a surprise attacker who was surprise attacked.

It was so quiet, like the streets were holding their breath. Hannibal had Will’s hand, the idea being, that to the casual observers they would look like your average couple. The idea of them being described as average amused both men. “It’s almost like this part of the neighborhood is trapped in a bubble of blindness and silence.” Will said as he took in the shadowed corners. 

“The perfect hunting grounds for a predator.” Hannibal replied. He walked with such confidence, as if daring the universe to cross him. It was almost like he was an eldritch God toying with the world. 

“This is the spot.” They both stopped, looking around. It was away from the main street, completely secluded and dark. “You were right, it is perfect. She could kill them anywhere within the area we’ve established.”

“Could we try something?”

Will’s eyes met Hannibal’s as he nodded. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

“A reenactment. I would like you to play the killer,” he reached into his pocket, extracting a knife, “and I will play your victim.” He held it out.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“It’s more real, is it not?” 

“It is.”

“Don’t be afraid, Will, think of it as a game.”

“A game.” Will reached out, taking the knife. “Alright.”

“Let’s begin.”

~

They walked side by side, a slightly tentative pace as they wove their way slowly down dark back streets and alleyways. Will fell back a little, slowly flicking the knife open. It felt almost alive in his hand, like its own entity rather than an extension. He jumped Hannibal, one arm coming around his head, fingers snaking into his hair to wrench his head back. He had to be quick. He brought the knife up, going for his throat. 

The first injury had been to the carotid. The killer had severed it in all the victims but the third. Will mimicked this and Hannibal turned, hand reaching up to grip his own throat as he backed away. Will pursued him, shoving him off balance. The second wound was between their ribs. Will dropped down on top of him, straddling his hips then leaned down, their noses nearly touching. 

“It was intimate.” Will pressed the knife into Hannibal’s side, careful of how much pressure he was putting on it. “She wanted to see the life leave them.” 

“She reveled in the power shift.” 

“She lost it with the last victim and forgot her purpose.”

“Unfortunate for our number three.” He lightly stroked Will’s cheek. “Jealousy and rage are not so far from each other, Will, you and I know that better than most.”

“We do.” He raised up. “You wouldn’t stop me, would you? If I wanted to, if I truly wanted to, you would let me hurt you.”

“Of course, if you wished it.”

“That’s way too reckless.”

“You make me reckless.” He raised up on his elbows. “This is what you saw with the first two victims.”

“Yeah, quick and methodical.” He looked around them. “Then she gave them the rose and left.” He looked down, realizing he was still sitting on Hannibal. He cleared his throat and stood, stepping back and holding out his hand. He received a smirk as the other man took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. 

“The pattern says there should be another victim next week.”

“Unless we stop her.”

“And we will, but we must be vigilant. Are you ready for a long hunt, Will?”

Will nodded. “I am.”

~

Night One:

It was cold, both more bundled up than usual as they searched. There was nothing that night, only silence.

Night Three:  
Whining. It was loud and distressed, so lonesome that Will couldn’t help but be drawn to it. Hannibal followed him, and they found themselves standing in front of a box. Will bent down, lifting the puppy into his arms and when he raised his head, Hannibal knew he wouldn’t be able to say no to the pleading in his eyes. The small, furry creature was a mess, skinny, and had immediately relaxed into Will’s embrace. 

“We…”

“I expect it to be trained like the others you had.”

“He, and I promise.” The puppy was tucked under Will’s sweater for the rest of the night, which was as silent as the ones that came before. 

Night Six:

They had left late due to the puppy, aptly named Chesapeake. Will had had to climb halfway under the bed to get him and finally put him in his kennel. He promised they would be back soon, giving him an extra treat before following Hannibal out. “Thank you.” Will said later, as they walked. 

“For what?”

“Being patient with Chesapeake.”

“He’s a child.” Hannibal glanced at him. “Chesapeake. You have quite the sense of humor.”

“Couldn’t help myself. I…” Hannibal held up his hand, silencing him. He watched as he closed his eyes and inhaled. “What is it?”

“She’s been through here.”

“What?”

“This way.”

Will followed Hannibal who continued down the street, not so much running as walking very quickly. He held up his arm, catching Will in the chest, and brought a finger to his lips to signal he stay silent. They both looked around the corner, Will’s eyes gravitating toward the two women. He wanted to stop the shorter of the two, but Hannibal kept him in place. The smaller woman fell back, both men seeing the knife as she pulled it from her sweater pocket. She was on her companion in an instant, and Hannibal dropped his arm, allowing Will to run forward. 

He tackled her, pulling her away from her intended victim and taking her to the ground. The other woman had her hand pressed to her neck and was against the alley wall. Will couldn’t worry about her right now, not when the woman he had struggling in his arms was attempting to stab him. She hit him in the outer thigh, and he let out a grunt of pain as he pulled back and punched her in the face. She went limp and he stumbled to his feet. Hannibal was already looking the other woman over, checking her neck. The cut hadn’t been deep, and Hannibal had her continue to put pressure on the wound before turning to Will. 

“Your inability to keep yourself from being wounded is astounding.”

“Could have been worse.”

“Yes, it could have.” He kissed Will’s forehead. “You did well. Sit, I’ll call the police.”

“Yeah, alright.” Will dropped down next to the still panicking victim, watching Hannibal. He could tell the man wanted to kill their killer, but he held himself back. They had a witness and they both knew it would be hard to keep her quiet. Will rested his head back against the wall, taking a deep breath. 

~

“Chesapeake, down.” Will commanded and the puppy yipped at him as he dropped his front paws to the floor. “No.” The puppy shook his head. 

“I may be regretting my decision.” Hannibal said as they ate. 

“He’s just stubborn.”

“Much like his owner.”

Will smiled. “Because we both know you hate my stubbornness.”

“There are times when I could do without it.” The puppy looked at Hannibal, tilting his head to the side. “No.” The puppy whined and Hannibal narrowed his eyes, causing Chesapeake to lay down. “Good.” He met Will’s eyes. “How is your leg?”

“Sore, but I’ll live.”

“I would hope so.” He reached over and took Will’s hand. “I wouldn’t forgive you.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to make sure I don’t die, Dr. Lecter.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, Will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also, if you would like to stop by and say hi, you can find me on Twitter under @wulfeyes05.


End file.
